Apple,2008 year in review

Apple made financial strides on the back of the iPhone, iPod and Macintosh lines, while questions over the health of co-founder and chief executive Steve Jobs left some wondering over the long-term future of the company.

As has been the case since 1997, Apple kicked off its year with a keynote address from Jobs at the Macworld Expo.

The event saw the unveiling of the MacBook Air, a super-thin notebook which sported no optical drive and weighed in at just 3lbs.

The keynote also introduced new backup devices and announced that iTunes would begin allowing movie rentals in which users could download movies and watch them over a 24-hour period.

One thing missing from the keynote was a major announcement regarding the iPhone. Two months later, Jobs fixed that when he unveiled a software development kit for the handset and announced plans for an online application store.

Later in the year, at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Jobs unveiled the iPhone 3G, an updated version of the handset which sported a faster 3G connection as well as GPS hardware and improved battery life.

T-Mobile Android G1

The T-Mobile Android G1 is the first phone running Google's open-source mobile operating system and although we were pleasantly surprised, it still has a very prototype feel to it.

Having said that, it bodes very well for the future of the Android platform.

The G1 was designed by HTC and follows a very similar build to that firm’s TyTN phone. However, in keeping with the 'prototype' idea, it feels a bit like HTC weren't really sure what they would be dealing with so they threw everything at it, meaning you have a BlackBerry-style rollerball, large touchscreen and a full slide-out qwerty keyboard as input options.

One input mechanism that is conspicuously absent is a virtual keyboard. This means that even entering just one or two letters involves flicking out the keyboard, which can be cumbersome when trying to use just one hand.

The device is not exactly small, but it is relatively slim and we had no problem slipping it into a trouser pocket. The front is dominated by a 3.2in touchscreen with a 320x480 pixel resolution.

There are five buttons along the base, separated from the display, meaning they stay in place when the screen is slid away to reveal the keyboard. Buttons include a call pick up, Home, context-sensitive Menu button, back and a call put down button, which doubles as the power button.learn more>>

Adobe releases AIR 1.5 for Linux

Adobe has announced a Linux version of AIR 1.5, its runtime environment for rich internet applications.

Available immediately, AIR 1.5 for Linux now enables applications developed for the environment to run on Linux distributions such as Fedora Core 8, Ubuntu 7.10 and openSuse 10.3 with no modification, according to Adobe.

"The release of Adobe AIR 1.5 for Linux builds on our ongoing commitment to the Linux community, and our legacy of creating technologies that work consistently across operating systems," said David Wadhwani, vice president of Adobe's Platform Business Unit.

Microsoft opens up Vista SP2 beta

Microsoft has announced that the latest beta of Windows Vista Service Pack Two (SP2) will be available to all on 4 December.

The code will be offered to MSDN and TechNet subscribers on 3 December, and anyone will be able to try out the code on 4 December by joining the company's Customer Preview Program (CPP).

"The CPP is intended for technology enthusiasts, developers and IT pros who would like to test SP2 in their environments and with their applications prior to final release," said Mike Nash, Microsoft's corporate vice president for Windows Product Management, in the Vista blog.

Nash explained that most customers would be better off waiting until the final release prior to installing this service pack.

Virgin Media Mobile Broadband

Virgin Media has joined the mobile broadband party, offering a fairly competitive package which is even cheaper for existing customers.

Certain existing Virgin customers can get Virgin Mobile broadband for just £5 a month, depending on which package they subscribe to, but this comes with a 1GB data cap.

Although this should be enough for those just wanting to check email and do some basic surfing, those doing anything more data intensive may soon exceed the limit, which incurs an extra cost of £15 per gigabyte. Alternatively, non-Virgin customers, or those wanting a higher limit, can sign up to an 18-month contract at £15 per month with a 3GB data allowance.

Customers will also get a Virgin-branded Huawei E160 HSDPA USB stick, currently Huawei's most recent USB mobile broadband modem. The unit is much the same size as a standard USB thumb drive, and includes a microSD slot allowing it to act as a combined removable storage device and internet connection. This will be particularly useful for netbooks, which usually have just USB slots.

BlackBerry Storm

The BlackBerry Storm is the first handset from Research In Motion (RIM) to feature a touch-based user interface akin to that of Apple's popular iPhone. This may draw more attention from consumers, but business users are likely to stick with more traditional BlackBerry designs.

Available now from Vodafone, the BlackBerry Storm lacks a keyboard and instead has a larger 3.25in screen designed for fingertip control of functions, with just the standard phone call/end keys and a BlackBerry menu and escape key on the front bezel. It also has improved music and video capabilities, such as the ability to play movies and synchronise with the user's iTunes library.

While the Storm also has the usual corporate features, such as the ability to enroll with a BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) for push email and administrator control, it seems to be aimed more at consumers.

The Storm has 3G network support, Bluetooth 2.0 and GPS hardware for location-based applications, but it lacks Wi-Fi, which many rival devices such as the iPhone have. There is, however, a decent 3.2 megapixel camera.learn more>>

Lenovo unveils new SME desktop PC

Lenovo has taken the wraps off its newest desktop PC range aimed at small to mid-sized businesses and budget constrained individuals.

The ThinkCentre A57e runs on Intel's low power Atom processor, supports up to 2Gb of memory and a 320GB hard drive, and comes pre-loaded with Windows Vista or Windows XP.

Designed to work in a wide range of environments, the A57e includes an AntiSurge LAN Design, which helps it work reliably in areas where broadband penetration is low and power voltage unstable.

"The ThinkCentre A57e has been engineered through more than 2,000 rigorous testing processes, including enhanced early-life performance, electronic static discharge, volt shots, emissions and acoustics, shock, vibration and drops," said Per Ronn Olesen, director of the Desktop Business Unit for Lenovo EMEA.learn more

Nokia E63 switches between work and personal

Nokia has released its Nokia E63 handset, which features similar functionality to the rest of the firm's business-oriented Eseries line but adds capabilities aimed at the consumer.

"Our research shows that people want a device that deals with both their personal and professional lives, but helps them to separate the two," said Nokia senior vice president Soren Petersen.

Nokia explained that the E63 fits the typical Eseries mould, offering Wi-Fi connectivity, easy access to corporate mail, calendar and business contacts, as well as the Qwerty keyboard that is offered with the Nokia E71. But the E63 will also offer a personal mode with a different homescreen picture, personal email and shortcuts to blogs and web sites.learn more>>

Intel brings you healthcare

INTEL IS DEMONSTRATING its caring side again by starting pilot programmes which put patients in sync with their health care providers using new technological initiative.

Back in July, Intel gained clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration – now the company is going ahead with plans for the Intel Health Guide.

Aetna, Scan Health Plan, Erickson Retirement Communities, and the Providence Medical Group have all begun tests to see just how successful this system could be for patients, Intel told the Wall St Journal over the weekend.

Intel’s Health Guide aims to make life easier for patients as they will be able to remain at home and will work closely with the clinicians in order to achieve the best outcomes

Patients will also be viewed in their totality, including their health status, as well as their social network and their individual capabilities and preferences.

In order to dispel any concerns patients may have about trusting Intel with their health care, Intel has partnered with two major medical names – Mayo Clinic and the American Heart Association.

Intel plans to sell its Intel Health Care Management Suite as an extensive online data-collection system for health care organisations while the Intel Health Guide PHS6000 device will be used at home by the patient to monitor their vitals.

Healthcare professionals will be able to monitor these devices online while medical organisations have the option of programming in their own treatment guidelines.

Intel says the system is designed will be easy to use, even for all those tec hnophobes out there, and will act just like a nurse – prompting the patient at specific times in the day to take medicine or collect vitals.

Wapple offers boost for mobile apps

Mobile internet firm Wapple today launched a new tool designed to allow developers to create applications optimised for all mobile browsers and devices, including Apple's iPhone and Google's G1.

Wapple Architect requires developers to write applications in the firm's XML-based Wapple Application Programming Language.

The Wapple Exhibit tool can then be used to adapt content dynamically based on browser capability, device version, screen size and other factors.